HarperCollins continues to expand internationally, announcing the formation of HarperCollins Italia out of what was formerly Harlequin Mondadori S.p.A., which has published in Italy for 34 years.
Paola Ronchi, managing director of the former Harlequin Mondadori S.p.A., will become managing director of the newly formed HarperCollins Italia.
Since HC’s acquisition of Harlequin in 2014, the publisher has been converting former Harlequin foreign imprints into HC offices, beginning in Germany last fall. Through the effort, HC now has offices in more than 17 countries. Harlequin Mondadori S.p.A. was previously a joint venture between Harlequin Enterprises and Mondadori Libri. HarperCollins Italia will be fully owned and operated by HC.
HarperCollins Italia will continue to publish romance titles under the long-recognized Harmony imprint. The house will expand its commercial trade publishing with titles form HC, Harlequin and local Italian authors.
“We're excited to announce HarperCollins Italia and expand our presence in Europe,” said HC president and CEO Brian Murray. “This is the next step in our plans to provide our authors with a global, multi-language publishing platform to help them reach the widest possible audience for their work.”
